Road-drag.



G. CARROLL.

ROAD DRAG.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1914.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

G. CARROLL.

' ROAD DRAG.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. 1914.

1,179;608. Patented A r. 18,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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Gnonen CARROLL, on NEW SALEM, ILLINOIS,

ROAD-DRAG.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 13, 1914. Serial No. 856,617.

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in road-drags, and as its principal object aims to provide an apparatus of this character which includes as its essential elements of construction a drag bar or board and a sharp edged scraper blade.

A further and more specific object of my invention is to provide a road-drag in which the scraper blade is mounted for swinging movement and is adapted to be adjusted to various angles of inclination with respect raised to an inoperative position,

to the road-bed by a centrally located manually operable lever.

A still further object of my present invention is to provide a novel form of fastening rods for holding the scraper blade in adjusted position.

Another and more general object is to construct the apparatus with such regard to proportion and arrangement of parts that it may be cheaply manufactured, will be durable and efficient in its action and may be readily adapted for use on roads of varying topography. I I

The above and other incidental objects of a similar nature, which will be hereinafter more specifically treated, are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and then more'particularly pointed out in the claim, which is appended hereto and forms a part of this application.

Referring to the drawings,'wherein there has been illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a top plan view; Fig. 2 is a vertical section illustrating the scraper blade in engagement with the ground; Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the scraper blade and further showing the ground wheels in engagement with the ground.

The embodiment of my invention shown -in the accompanying drawings includes as Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

the essential features of construction a drag bar or board 10, a scraper blade 11, an adusting lever 12, which is manually operable from the approximate center of the drag for varying the angle of inclination of the scraper blade to the road-bed, and a pair of holding bars 13 and 14 which are adapted to be secured by cam locks 15 and 16 for the purpose of securing the scraper blade in adjusted position; v

The drag bar 10 is in the preferred em bodiment of the invention formed from a relatively heavy wooden plank, although, if so desired, a metal bar or plate may be employed. When a wooden plank is utilized,

the lower edge thereof is rounded, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and is provided with a metallic protecting shoe 17 which is substantially U-shaped in cross section and is secured by bolts or other suitable fastening devices 18 in the proper position to embrace the rounded edge of the member 10. The upper edge of the member 10 is cut to extend at an angle to the forward face 19 so that, when the frame members 20 are in normal horizontal position, the member 10 will extend at a rearward angle with respect to the road-bed. The purpose in thus arranging the drag bar so that it will bear an angular relation to the road-bed at all times is to render the drag bar capable of withstanding a maximum strain.

' The frame members 20, by which the drag bar and scraper blade 11 are connected, are preferably formed from metal bars, although, if so desired, wooden scantling may be employed. The rear terminals of these members 20 are rigidly secured, as by fastening devices 20, to the upper edge of the member 10, while the forward terminals of the member 20 are pivotally secured to the by means of attaching strips or plates 25,

which are apertured at their upper terminals to receive the axle and are rigidly secured members 23 and 24, while the terminally disposed members 25 are respectively disposed to bear against the inner faces of the terminally located bearings 22. It will thus be seen that the blade is held against longitudinal movement on the axle during the use of the drag. j

As has been previously explained, I einploy a lever 12 as the means for accomplishing the angular adjustment of the scraper blade 11. The lever 12 is pivotally mounted on the axle 27'whi'ch is carried by a clutch plate 28 mounted on the centrally disposed frame member 24; This clutch plate is 'pro vided with conventional teeth 29 which are engageable by a spring-pressed pawl 30 which is associated with the lever 12 in the well-known manner. Connecting the lower terminal of the member '12 to the blade 11 is the link 31, the lower terminalof whichis received by a pin 32 passing through the lower apertured ear 33 of the centrally located attaching strip 25. It will be readily seen that by manipulating the lever 12, the blade 11 may be readily adjusted to the desired angular inclination to the road bed'.

The holding bars 13 and 14, which, as has been previously explained, are employed in securing the member 11 inadjusted position, are preferably formed from metal bars, and are pivoted at their forward terminals to apertur'ed ears 34 which are formed on the lower ends of the terminally 'lo'c'atedatt'aching strip 25. On'th'e lower edge of the rear terminals of the bars 113 and 14 are formed the locking teeth 36 which are eirgagea'ble in 'a manner shown in Fig. 2, with an under cut shoulder 37. A shoulder '37 is, as illustrated, formed adjacent each terminal of the member 10, and at the upper edge thereof by forming notches 38 and 39; In order to prevent the disengagement of the teeth 36 when the "holding bars 13 and 14 have been adjusted in the desired manner, I employ a pair of pivotallymounted cam locking members, heretofore designated "by the numerals 15 and 16. These members 15 and 16 are formed in the nature of metal disks, and are pivoted intermediate their len th by means of a pin 40 carried by supporting brackets 41 which are secured to the upper edge portion 'of the member 10. The manner in which the members 15 and 16 may be "engaged with the upper edges of the bars 13 and 14 for holding the teeth 36 in looking engagement with the shoulders 37 will be readily appreciated when reference is had to Fig. 2. A draft tongue of any conventional type, indicated by the numeral 42 may be "attached "to the members '23 and 24.

or from the scene of operation,

. In order that the scraperblade 11 may be lifted out of engagement with the ground, when the apparatus is being transported to I provide a pair of wheels 43 and 44. These wheels 43 and 44 are journaled on stub axles 45 and 46 which are carried respectively by the enlarged lower terminals 47 and 48 of a pair of supporting legs or levers 49 and 50. These members 49 and 50 are-pivoted intermediate their length on stub axles 51 which are carried by the members 13 and 14 adj acent their forward terminals.

" It will be obvious, particularly when reference is had to Fig. 2, that the lever 50 may be swung to such position that the cutting edgeof the scraper blade 11 may engage in the desired manner with the road-bed. On the other hand, the levers 49 and 50 may be swung rearwardly so as to dispose the wheels 44 and 45 in a lower plane, thereby lifting the scraper blade 11 out of engagement with the ground in the manner disclosed inFig. 3. When the wheels are arranged as in Fig. 3, they make it possible for the apparatus to be drawn along a road by a team of horses without imposing any unusual load upon the animals.

It will now be obvious that'I have provided an unusually simple' road-drag. in which the scraper blade works in advance of a relatively'heavy drag bar. It will be apparent that when the road drag is in use,

the blade 11 will first act to remove any uneven places in the road, and that following the scraping action of the blade, the drag bar will act to pack down any dirt which may have beenloosened by the scraper blade.

In reduction to practice, it has been found that theforin of this invention illustrated in the drawings, and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is

the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of this device will necessarilyvary, it is desirable to emphasize the fact that various minorchanges in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to", when required,'without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is I The improved road drag herein described and shown comprising longitudinal frame bars, a drag bar secured rigidly to the rear ends of the frame bars and depending therefrom and inclined rearwardly with respect thereto, an axle secured in the front ends of l the frame bars, a scraper, attaching strips secured rigidly to the scraper and having their upper ends pivotally hung on the axle adjacent the frame bars whereby they are prevented from moving laterally, an adjusting -levermoun'ted on a frame bar and depending below the same, a link pivoted at its rear end to the lower end of said lever and at its front end to the lower end of an intermediate attaching strip, holding bars pivoted at their front ends to the lower ends of the attaching strip and extending rearwardly therefrom over and adj ustably engaging the upper edge of the drag bar, and

means for looking said holding bars to the drag bar in an adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE CARROLL. [11. s.] Witnesses:

S. L. MORGAN, EARL GRIGSBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

